Jenson Button back in top gear

Jenson Button is ready to snatch back the F1 title he won four years ago

I can’t wait for the new season

Jenson Button

And he vows: “If McLaren give me the car, I’ll do the job.”

Button, 33 (right) plans to take up where he left off in the last race in Brazil – as a winner.

“I can’t wait for the new season,” he said.

“I am, as ever, massively, massively motivated.

“I never lose that feeling of excitement in the build up to a new season. I feel refreshed and raring to go.”

The keep-fit fanatic, who finished fifth in last season’s championship, revealed he has been in Hawaii putting himself through a rigorous Olympian-level work-out schedule.

“I’ve been doing lots of training – but in a relaxed way. I’ve been doing plenty of work outdoors which makes it more fun and also seeing plenty of friends for some great meals.”

And he revealed he even managed to run a marathon on top of an intensive multi-miles cycling programme ahead of the upcoming try-out of the new car.

Button, 15 times a career winner, added: “The start of the winter break always feels so long and open-ended.

“Before you know it you are looking at the calendar and making plans to get back into the car – and I’ve never lost that enthusiasm throughout my career.”

After Lewis Hamilton’s shock departure to Mercedes, Button plans to make himself number one at McLaren and says: “Having won the last race of 2012 in Sao Paulo it would be perfect to win the first race in 2013.”